All Praise is for Allah (الله عز و جل), we Praise Him and seek His Aid and ask for His Forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah (عز و جل) from the evil of our souls and from our wicked deeds. Indeed whoever Allah (عز و جل) guides, none can misguide, and whosoever He misguides, there is none that can guide him. I bear witness and testify that there is no ilah (deity worthy of worship) but Allah, all glory be to Him, and I bear witness and testify that Muhammad(صلى الله عليه و سلم) is His final Messenger and Prophet. Allah(عز و جل) sent him with Islam and the way of Truth so that He (Allah) would make it prevalent over all other ways and systems. Through Islam, Allah guided those who had been lost, and gave sight to those who had been blind.

The only source of deviation is the deviation from the truth. The goodness of all matters is the adherence to the truth and its right way. No created being has been created by other than Allah(عز و جل). Allah (عز و جل) has created every creature in a particular way and managed its affair in a certain manner. Allah (عز و جل) is perfect and exempt from deficiency and error. Anything that deviates from Allah (عز و جل)'s way is bound to be in ruin. Allah (عز و جل) alone created the heavens and the earth - by His Management and Creation.

Throughout its long history, mankind has never witnessed events such as those that are occurring today. History itself is a testimony of the gradual deterioration of humanity. Colonisation and two world wars have left a permanent scar on the face of humanity. Regrettably, the present generation’s contribution to man’s very existence has been anything but positive. The 20^th Century was considered as the era of ‘Modernisation’, but many forget that its legacy has driven civilisation into a deeper crisis.

Moderation is a concept that has lost its essence and has been cast into the abyss of history. The 21^st Century human is required to live in one of two extremes. One extreme spells affluence, whereas the other is that of poverty. The world has become a playground for the rich and powerful and a battleground for the poor and weak. In the real world, this inequality is manifested through injustice. Thus, billions of people across the world are trapped in a spiral of social and moral decline. Injustice has ripped communities apart on many levels. Political injustice has led to invasion and war, economic injustice has created the ‘underclass’, and social injustice has given birth to greed and crime. People at the grassroots are suffering from tension and depression, and thus are turning to drugs and alcohol to alleviate their worries. This is leading to widespread disease, death and degradation.

Western leaders promote their societies as models of excellence, but in truth these societies are in a state of moral and social turmoil. Murder, violent crime and assault are a common occurrence in theses societies. Crime rates continue to soar, as do the number of rapes, thefts and robberies. 

Figures prove Islam to be the fastest growing religion in the world and a Muslim can gain comfort in knowing that there are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world today. However, the Ummah is sadly having to learn that this figure bears a false sense of security, and even though the Ummah can boast to have such a great adherence, it is weak, humiliated and extremely vulnerable against both intellectual and physical onslaughts from hostile forces.

What we are witnessing today is that many Muslims from various generations are embracing concepts that have been imported from philosophies of Marxism, Hinduism, Christianity and many other erroneous beliefs. And thus, the Ummah is ideologically perplexed and does not have a single, united voice. When the Ummah is required to display solidarity, it fails miserably and exposes its weakness and confusion for all to see.

Islamic fatawa (verdicts) regarding the application of our fundamental creed are often contradictory and have lead to great confrontation between the Muslims themselves. Amidst this bleak situation, our only hope of redemption is through the promise of Allah (عز و جل) as He says:

“So do not become despair (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers.” [Al-Imran 3:139]

It is also heartbreaking to see numerous Islamic groups and organizations advocating Islamic revival through Political integration and Democracy. As the reader will later discover, Democracy is in total contradiction to Islamic teachings. It is a clear example of people who might undertake initiatives to revive Islam through Kufr means, expecting some reward in the Hereafter, but instead they only earn sin and blame from Allah (عز و جل).

Undoubtedly the greatest good is calling mankind to ‘La ilaha illallah, Muhammad ar Rasool Allah. Allah (عز و جل) says:

“And who is better in speech then he who invites to Allah and does righteous deeds and says, “I am one of the Muslimeen.” [Fussilat 41:33]

One of the reasons that has lead to the exploitation of the Ummah is that the Muslims have forsaken the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil. It is only through the undertaking of this obligation; that the believers can regain their honour and dignity. Allah (عز و جل) says:

“You were the best people ever raised for mankind. You enjoin Al-Maroof and forbid Al-Munkar, and you believe in Allah…” [Al-Imran 3:110]

We are currently witnessing an era of confusion and distress for the Muslim Ummah. Due to immense economic and sociological pressure from the outside world, Muslims have lost sight of their real objectives and have subsequently become confused about their identities and loyalties. Since Sep 2001 (9/11), the Muslims have had to endure an unrelenting global onslaught. International state-terrorism has turned its ugly head and the Muslims have been robbed of their basic human rights.

Under the banner of ‘War on Terror’, innocent Muslim families have been butchered indiscriminately. B-52 bombers have bombarded wedding ceremonies, hospitals have been blown up, ambulances have been fired at and populated towns have been bulldozed into the dustbin of history. Masaajid have been demolished and the Quran desecrated. Incidents of torture and rape at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and Abu Ghraib (Iraq) prisons have scarred the minds of Muslims globally.

In Europe, France prohibited the wearing of the Hijab for Muslim sisters. Suddenly other nations took confidence from this and they too jumped on the bandwagon of ‘Secularism’. 5 million Muslims in France were unable to do anything about this. Recently, the West celebrated the Euro 2004 Football Tournament and Olympics, the disbelievers proudly chanted their national anthems, whilst Muslims continue to suffer silently. The disbelievers enthusiastically flock at stadiums and discos, Muslims reluctantly congregate at funerals and burials. As the global media converges for sports coverage, there is no one who is committed enough to report on the systematic annihilation of Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Kashmir and Chechnya.

In the media, globally renowned actors and personalities have openly denounced the Shari’ah (Islamic law) as ‘barbaric’. Muslims themselves have stooped so low in order to exhibit their own acceptance of Western values, they too have started to make documentaries against the Hijab, Jihad and ‘Fundamentalism’.  Television shows hosted by ‘Muslims’ try to ridicule Islamic verdicts and teachings. For many Muslims who reside in the West, this is an indication of successful integration, as it may seem that Muslims are finally bursting into the mainstream media. What they overlook is that our ‘celebrity Muslims’ are selling their Islam in order to make a temporary appearance on the small-screen.   

It is amidst this unsympathetic and treacherous environment, that the Muslim is learning to rediscover himself, as his conscience is asking him questions, to which the only comprehensible answers are found in Islam. This inner battle between the ‘self’ is generating a great interest in Islam, especially amongst the younger generation. Insha’Allah this book can serve as a stepping-stone that will enable the reader to launch his or her journey of spiritual and intellectual rediscovery.